Twice Before Friday
by StruckkByColfer
Summary: A collection of one shots, mostly based off Tumblr prompts I receive. There will probably be a bit of everything in here eventually.
1. And the Riddles of the Sphinx

**A/N - This story is based off an anonymous prompt: "Cassie taking on the riddles of a Sphinx with Jake as her back up/focus."**

**I know nothing about the riddles of a Sphinx and researched the hell out of this before writing it. Parts of it (like the statue) are totally made up. I'm not sure how accurate my research ended up being, but hopefully it's at least a good story. =)**

* * *

He should have gone alone, Jake knew that. It was an easy case, something that only required the skill of an art historian, something Jake could have done simply and quickly if he had only gone by himself.

But dammit if Cassandra wasn't sitting across from him when the clippings appeared in his book. They were alone, sitting quietly in the annex, both focused on their own tasks. Cassandra was scribbling in her little notebook, her eyes squinting while she worked her way through what Jake assumed was a difficult equation. Then her face relaxed and she smiled to herself when she finally solved it. Jake took one look at where he was supposed to be heading and then-

"Cassandra, do you want to come to Greece with me?" the words came out before he could stop them. The thought of the two of them walking around Greece (or any foreign country, really) together made his heart skip a beat.

Cassandra's head shot up from her notebook as she looked at Jake questionably. "What?"

"Thebes, to be exact," he held up his clippings book. "I just got a case. Should be a quick one." Cassandra smiled and nodded, enjoying all the same thoughts that Jake had been thinking.

Jake was supposed to retrieve a small Sphinx statue that was said to have once belonged to Oedipus himself. From the clues in his clippings book he had a pretty good idea as to where to find it. Thebes was a thriving market town these days and from the sounds of it, there was a small shop that specialized in rare antiquities with presumed magical powers.

The portal door left Jake and Cassandra right in the middle of the action and they set out to find the shop in question. They took their time, taking in the sights and enjoying each other's company. When Jake noticed a nearby shop displaying various old paintings he couldn't help but reach for Cassandra's hand to drag her over, explaining each one in detail and then ranting about how one of them wasn't being displayed properly. The redhead tried to see what Jake could see in the artwork, but she found it hard to drag her attention from Jake's face. She loved watching him talk about art, seeing his eyes light up and his smile take over his face. Even when he would go off on a tangent like he had the tendency to, his face still held more passion than it usually did. Cassandra loved that.

It was Cassandra who spotted the little shop first. Jake had been enjoying himself so much that he almost forgot why they were there in the first place. He was brought back to reality when Cassandra gently grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the stall at the end of the street they were on. No one was around, which was unusual, but certainly made their job that much easier. Jake spotted the statue sitting at the end of a long table full of various artifacts. He was just about to reach for it, but Cassie was closer and when she realized which one it was she started to grab it.

"Cassandra, wait!" Jake suddenly realized something. If the magical properties of the statue were real, then whomever touched it would…

It was too late. The statue started to glow as soon as Cassie's fingers brushed it. It shook in her hands, her eyes wide as she watched in horror. "Jake? What's happening?"

"You know about the myth of the Sphinx, how she guarded the city of Thebes and would ask anyone who tried to cross her path a riddle?" Jake stepped closer so that he was standing directly next to Cassandra.

"Yeah…"

"Well, if the stories of this statue are true, and I'm starting to think that they are, it's going to wake up any second and…"

Suddenly the eyes on the small Sphinx opened into a bright light. Cassandra let out a startled gasp, and Jake placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Cassandra Cillian," it spoke just barely above a whisper, but both Librarians could clearly hear it. "You have awoken me"

"I...I'm sorry?" Cassie whispered back.

"If you wish to go on I ask that you must answer this one question," the statue continued. "Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?"

Jake knew the answer. He had studied the story of Oedipus and the Sphinx years ago and knew it all by heart. Confidently he tried to cut in, but the statue stopped him.

"Only she who wakes me shall answer"

Jake glanced at Cassie, hoping that she would be able to figure the riddle out. It was worded strangely, but she was smart. He had faith in her.

"Cassie, you can do this. Just take your time, think it through." he spoke steadily, his hand still resting on her shoulder.

Cassandra's eyes glossed over as she went into her head. Jake noticed her staring off into space as she saw things he couldn't. "One... one voice. Feet. Four, two, three."

"Come on, Cass. Focus. Break it up." Jake said softly. "I know you can do this."

"Four...four...four is red." Cassandra repeated.

"Good, good Cassie. Now just connect it with something. Find a memory." Jake helped.

"Daddy's car...car...car. Red like my dad's sportscar." Cassandra frowned. "Mom was so angry when he bought that."

Jake slid his hand down Cassandra's arm, reaching for her hand. "Keep going, Cassie. You're doing great."

"I was ten. They kept shouting. So much shouting," Cassandra flinched.

"No, Cassandra. Don't focus on that." Jake shook his head, eyes locked on her.

"Smells like new car."

"Cassandra, listen to me. Focus." Jake squeezed her hand and smiled as Cassandra turned her head slightly, meeting his gaze. "What's the next part?"

"Two," she smiled. "Two is orange. Summer."

"Good, good. Remember, find a strong memory. Something positive."

"My friends and I are playing in the sprinkler, sprinkler, sprinkler. Water, cool and wet. The ice cream truck comes by and we all run to it. Popsicles. Orange was my favourite." She was still looking at Jake, who tightened his grip on her hand as he anchored her to reality.

"That's good, Cassandra. Keep going. Three."

"Three is blue...blue...I like blue."

"What's blue, Cass? Relate it to something."

Cassandra blinked for what Jake thought was the first time in minutes. She was staring deep into his eyes, as focused as she had been since she started her trance, and she was smiling. "Blue. Like your eyes."

Jake didn't know what to say. He took his other hand and placed it on her cheek and let her continue.

"I'm lost and stumbling. I don't know where I am… but blue. I see blue and I know I'm safe. Eyes, windows to the soul. I see blue and I know how to get home. Blue is Jake and Jake is…"

Suddenly something in Cassandra snapped. "Oh!" She looked down at the statue she held. "Man!"

The statue began to shake again as it registered Cassandra's answer. The bright lights that shone in its eyes disappeared and the glowing aura that surrounded the Sphinx ever since Cassandra had touched it vanished. Suddenly it was just a normal statue.

"Is it over?" Cassandra asked, too afraid to move. Jake hesitantly reached out and took the little statue from her. After a few seconds had passed and nothing happened, he nodded.

"You did it, Cassie! You solved the riddle."

The redhead blushed, no longer as willing to meet his gaze. "Thanks to you, Jake."

It was then Jake realized that he was still holding her hand. He thought about letting go, but something inside wouldn't let him. "Cassandra, what you said at the end there…"

"I'm sorry, Jake," Cassandra's eyes had been glued to the ground since she had solved the riddle, but now she slowly listed her head until she found him. "I know I shouldn't...you don't...but when I get lost and…"

"Cass," Jake slowly brought the hand that he was holding up to his face, placing a chaste kiss on her knuckles. "It's okay. We're okay."

Cassandra smiled just slightly, but didn't say anything.

"I'll always be there for you, Cassandra. This thing between us…" Jake hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Whatever this is, it's not just...you're not the only one who feels it."

This time is was her turn to squeeze his hand reassuringly. "Where does that leave us, then?" she asked.

"In Greece." Jake smiled. "And I can't think of a more romantic country for us to get dinner in."

"What about the statue?" Cassandra asked. "Shouldn't we get it back to the annex?"

Jake shrugged. "It can wait a couple hours, doncha think?"

"At least that," Cassandra nodded, as the two walked hand in hand down the streets of Thebes.

Yes, Jake could have finished the case quickly and easily had he come alone. But he certainly didn't regret bringing Cassie along with him.


	2. Minecraft

**A/N - This one started out as a prompt for OT3 fluffyness, but I put it aside because I decided it worked better as a Jake/Ezekiel story. In the end, it kind of did become OT3 fluff. xD**

"Do you mind!?" Jake asked frustrated, while simultaneously slamming closed the book he was trying to read.

"Not at all," Ezekiel answered, not bothering to look up from his laptop. "Mind what?"

"Whatever you're doing that's making all that noise." Jake waved his hand in the direction of Jones' computer. "That 'stomp stomp grr' sound. What the hell is that, anyways?"

"It's Minecraft," Jones talked as if Jake should have already known the answer.

"Well, if you don't _mine_, could you _craft_ a little quieter?" Jake snapped. "You're bothering us. Right, Cassandra? Cassandra?"

The redhead glanced up from where she was scribbling in her notebook. "Actually, I find it kind of soothing. I could do without all this bickering, though."

Jake sighed, realizing that Cassie wasn't going to back him up this time. "Can't you play that with the sound off?" he asked a little quieter this time.

Ezekiel, eyes still glued to his screen, shook his head. "No can do. How will I know if there's a creeper behind me?"

"The hell's a creeper?" Jake got up from his seat finally to see what exactly Jones was so obsessed with.

"A huge buzzkill, that's what," Jones answered as he placed the final block on the castle he was building.

"Whoa, did you make that?" Jake was suddenly interested when he saw all of the buildings that Ezekiel had built. "What is this game?"

"Like I said, it's Minecraft. Keep up, mate," Ezekiel finally paused his game, looking up at Jake. "If you want I can hook you up, you can play on my server."

Jake pointed at Jones' laptop screen. "Can I build something like that?"

"Well, I don't know if _you_ can build something like that, but yes."

"What else can you build?" Jake's love of architecture was causing his enthusiasm level to grow.

Ezekiel shrugged, his attention turning back to his computer as he unpaused and walked around the world he had built, showing off some of his creations. "Whatever you want, mate. A medieval city, skyscrapers, I built a giant replica of the TARDIS over here…"

"Is that the annex!?" Jones slapped Jake's hand away as the older Librarian reached out to point at the laptop screen.

"Yeah, yeah. I recreated the annex, too."

"You can build preexisting buildings in this!?" Jake was getting all kinds of ideas.

Ezekiel sighed. "It's Minecraft. You can build anything. Do you want me to get you set up or not?" Stone nodded eagerly.

…

Two weeks later Jake was sitting at the desk the LiTs usually worked at, his laptop in front of him as he powered it up. His face lit up when he noticed Cassandra innocently walk into the annex.

"Cassie!" He eagerly waved her over. "Cassie come see what I built!"

The redhead rolled her eyes, but came over anyways. She had spent the past two weeks listening to Jake talk nonstop about Minecraft and although she had found it adorable at first, she was beginning to get sick of it.

"What is it this time?" she asked dryly.

"A replica of the Colosseum!" Stone answered as Minecraft opened and he eagerly started moving his character towards the project he had spent all of his spare time working on.

Suddenly, as he was approaching his creation, the Colosseum he had worked so hard on erupted in a large explosion. A few blocks remained, but for the most part all that was left was a giant crater.

"The hell!?" Jake froze, staring at the screen. "What happened?"

Cassandra couldn't help it, she burst out into uncontrollable laughter.

"It ain't funny, Cas! I spent two weeks on this thing!"

"I'm sorry, Jake," Cassandra said between fits of giggles. "But your face! You should have seen your face!"

"It just exploded!" Jake was stunned. "I don't understand what happened."

"Are you still playing on Ezekiel's server?" Cassandra was still laughing.

"Yeah," Jake nodded. "So?"

"So, you've been such a pain in the ass ever since I introduced you to the game," Ezekiel announced. He had just entered the annex but when he saw Jake staring unhappily at his laptop and Cassandra laughing over his shoulder, the thief knew instantly what had happened. "I thought someone needed to teach you a lesson."

"You!" Jake's eyes narrowed and he jumped out of his seat. "You did this!?"

"TNT, mate," Jones smiled. "You gotta love TNT."

"Wha…" Jake was at a loss for words. All he knew was that Jones was to blame. "Oh, you're gonna pay for this."

Cassandra just grinned to herself as she watched Jake take off after Ezekiel, the young thief running off to hide in the stacks. Curious, she turned her attention back to Jake's computer, wondering what sort of computer game could get two grown men so excited.

Ten minutes later when Jake returned, he found Cassandra sitting in his seat.

"Cassie, move," he mumbled, his hands resting on the back of her (_his_) chair.

"Huh? Just a sec…" she answered, too interested in the giant pi symbol she had gotten into building.

"Oh great, not again," Ezekiel moaned as he joined his fellow LiTs.

Jake leaned over and whispered in Jones' ear, "so this TNT stuff. Can you teach me how it works?"

The young thief smiled and nodded, "Of course, mate!"


	3. And the Forgive Me Flowers

**A/N - Prompt by theladyw on Tumblr: "Jake and Cassandra helping Flynn pick out forgive-me flowers for Eve."**

**I received this prompt forever ago and although I started it immediately I hit a bit of a block with it and ended up putting it aside until now. Once I got back into it, this story refused to end. Honestly, the ending still doesn't really sound like an ending to me but it sort of works? **

**Also, a disclaimer, I'm not a flower person. I Googled the meanings of all the flowers mentioned, and I have absolutely no idea what actually makes a good bouquet or what sort of varieties they sell at flower shops and whatnot.**

"Guys, that wasn't good enough!" Baird lectured as she followed the LITs into the annex. "It took me less than five minutes to disable all three of you."

Jake, Cassandra, and Ezekiel all stumbled towards their workspace, each of them clearly exhausted. Cassandra and Jones both collapsed into their respective chairs while Jake slumped forward, resting his hands on the desk.

"Well maybe if you didn't have us run drill after drill all afternoon, gave us a chance to catch our breath," Stone grumbled. "The hell you having us run drills for, anyways? We haven't done that since before the minotaur case."

"You guys have been slacking lately," Baird said as she busied herself with some papers on her desk. "I'm sorry, but I just don't feel safe sending you guys back into the field until you improve."

"This is bull!" Ezekiel rolled his eyes and stood up. "The three of us are way better than we were when we first started and you know it. Whatever you're so pissed about, Baird, I don't have to stay here and take it."

The others watched as the young thief stormed out. Stone placed a reassuring hand on Cassandra's shoulder, who looked very upset about the way things were turning out.

"Hey," Jake whispered. "Don't worry, he just needs some time to cool down. He'll be back." Cassandra smiled up at him.

"Immature as that was, Jones is on to something. We could all use a break, " Baird said, gathering her things. "I'm going home and I suggest the two of you do the same because tomorrow morning we'll be running more drills until I know you guys are up to snuff."

The Colonel left in a hurry, leaving Jake and Cassandra alone in the annex.

"What do you think's gotten into her?" Cassandra asked. "She's been in a bad mood all day." Jake just shrugged, he was as unsure as she was.

Just then the portal door started shaking violently. Cassandra jumped to her feet, grabbing a book off the desk and preparing herself to throw it at whoever was barging in. For his part, Jake grabbed the nearest chair and took a couple hesitant steps forward, putting himself between Cassandra and whatever danger was lurking on the other side.

But it wasn't danger that was coming in, as the two Librarians were quick to realize. Seconds later the door burst open and Flynn triumphantly stepped through.

"Hey! Only two of you?" he announced. "Honestly, I always thought Stone would be the first casualty. Oh well. How are you guys?"

Cassandra dropped the book she was holding and ran to Flynn, smothering him in a tight hug, leaving Jake confused, still holding his chair.

"Wait...what? What do you mean...first casualty?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're still here, Stone," Flynn said when Cassandra finally released him. "But for a man with a 190 IQ you don't always think with your head."

Jake set the chair down, still feeling a little confused.

"He's only teasing you, Jake." Cassandra grinned, and turned her attention back to Flynn. "Right?"

"Cassandra, you were always my favourite," Flynn smiled proudly at her. "Yes, Stone, I'm only teasing. And I know Ezekiel's not dead. What I don't know is where your Guardian is."

Jake and Cassandra exchanged cautious looks before Jake finally spoke up.

"You just missed her. Consider yourself lucky, she's been in a mood all day." Jake grumbled.

Now it was Flynn's turn to look confused. "She left? But we had plans. I was supposed to meet her here and…" he stopped, suddenly realizing something. "What day is it today?"

"The 12th, why?" Cassandra asked.

Flynn frowned, slumping into the chair that Jake had recently set down, "Yesterday. I was supposed to meet her here yesterday," his eyes widened and he quickly glanced between Stone and Cassandra. "Do you think she's mad?"

"Do I...do I think she's mad?" Jake raised his eyebrows at Flynn as he asked. "Nah! She ain't mad. She's just working us like dogs for the fun of it!"

"She might be a little mad," Cassandra added.

Flynn bent forward and rested his chin in his hands. "Great. Eve and I are barely even...I mean we aren't even officially a...I don't really know what we are. But whatever it is, I've already blown it."

"That's not true, Flynn," Cassandra walked over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Colonel Baird really likes you. I'm sure it's not too late."

"Yeah, you better do something," Jake added. "And soon! I can't take anymore of these drills."

"I'm sure if you just explained what happened," Cassandra suggested. "Baird would understand if you got caught up saving the world again."

Flynn nodded. "You know, she just might," he sighed. "She's great, isn't she? I don't even deserve her."

Jake and Cassandra exchanged glances, but didn't say anything.

"This is the part where you guys assure me that I'm being too hard on myself, and that I do deserve a woman like Baird."

"Of course you deserve her, Flynn," Cassandra encouraged. Jake stood silently beside her until the redhead lightly elbowed his side.

"Yeah... you're uh, you're sure something," he said with a smile. It wasn't that Jake didn't believe that Flynn deserved Baird, he was just never comfortable getting caught up in other people's problems.

"Still, if I'm going to apologize I shouldn't show up empty handed," Flynn started. "FLOWERS!" Cassandra jumped and Jake's eyes went wide as Flynn suddenly shouted the word. "I need flowers!"

"There's a florist just downtown," Cassandra suggested. "We'll go with you, help you pick out something nice."

"We will?" Jake rethought his tone after Cassie shot him a look. "I mean, of course we will."

Flynn jumped up and positioned himself between the two LiTs, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders. "Did I mention yet that you two are my favourites?"

…

"This looks nice," Flynn eyed a bouquet of dark crimson roses. "Women like roses, right?"

Cassandra started to nod, but before she could verbally agree, Jake spoke up. "Nah, you don't want that," he started. "Crimson roses mean mourning. I don't think that's the message you want to send."

"No, I don't believe it is," Flynn agreed. "What about marigolds? They're pretty. Not overly fancy but still beautiful. What sort of message do they send?"

"Grief. Jealousy. Take your pick," Jake answered nonchalantly. Flynn made a face and continued browsing.

"Ah, the cyclamen! Now that's a fun word to say!" Flynn spoke quickly and excitedly. "Sounds like the villain in one of those science fiction shows…do I want a flower that sounds like a bad guy?"

"Considering the cyclamen symbolizes resignation and goodbye, I don't think so," Jake mumbled, oblivious to the impressed looks Cassandra had been giving him since they arrived at the shop.

"How do you know all this, Jake?" she asked him in awe.

Jake just shrugged. "Floristry is just art with flowers," he mumbled, turning his attention back to Flynn. "See, what you want to do is start with some hyacinths…"

"The yellow ones are nice," Flynn eyed the brightly coloured flowers.

"Nah, yellow hyacinths are another symbol for jealousy. What you want are the purple ones," Jake suggested. "They're apology flowers."

"Now we're talking," Flynn said excitedly.

"And maybe some striped carnations. They symbolize the wish to be around someone," Jake added, pointing out the flowers in question. Flynn nodded in agreement.

"And we'll finish up with some yellow tulips," Jake smiled, already forgetting his previous reluctance to help, and enjoying himself in the art of the flowers. "They once meant hopeless love, and nowadays also symbolize cheerful thoughts and sunshine."

"That sounds about right," Flynn agreed. "I can only hope Eve thinks so, too."

"She's going to love it," Cassandra assured him.

Since Jake was the only one who really knew what he was doing, he went to talk to the florist and pay for the arrangement while Cassandra and Flynn waited outside. It wasn't long before Stone returned with the flowers.

"These should do the trick, but if for some reason they don't, I hope you're not above begging," Jake said as he handed the bouquet to Flynn. "Baird better be in a better mood the next time we see her, or I'm holdin' you personally responsible."

"Duly noted," Flynn accepted the flowers. "Eve's apartment is just a couple blocks from here, I'll just walk over. Wish me luck." He smiled nervously before walking off.

"We should probably get going, too," Cassandra said after Flynn had left.

"Cassie, wait," Jake gently grabbed her shoulder to stop her from turning away. "There's one more thing."

Stone reached inside his jacket and pulled out a single, white tulip, holding it out earnestly to Cassandra.

"Oh, Jake," she whispered as she took the flower from him. "It's beautiful."

"White tulips symbolize innocence and purity...and also," Jake hesitated. "pure and perfect love."

"I don't know what to say," Cassandra smiled as she held the flower up to her face to smell it.

"Say you'll have dinner with me tonight?" Jake suggested, a hopeful look on his face.

Cassandra opened her mouth to speak, but found herself at a loss for words. Instead she just grinned as wide as she had the day she met Santa and nodded eagerly.

"In that case, I know the perfect place," Jake returned the smile, and offered his hand to Cassandra. She took it, and the two of them walked off together, their hectic and exhausting day long since forgotten.

…

Baird had just sat down, prepared to find a crappy B movie on Netflix to take her mind off things, when there was a knock at her door. She sighed and reluctantly went to see who it was.

When she spotted Flynn through the peephole she was all set to lecture him about the importance of at least calling someone if you absolutely have to cancel plans with them. But her heart melted when she opened the door and realized he was holding a colourful bouquet of flowers.

"Did you at least save the world, Librarian?" Baird asked, softly.

"Twice!" Flynn smiled, handing her the bouquet. "I'm sorry, Eve. I ended up in Australia. Different time zone, and an entirely different day. I didn't even realize I was late until I made it back to the annex."

"It's okay. _This_ time," Baird sighed, and stepped aside to let Flynn into her apartment. "And thank you. These are lovely."

"You wouldn't believe who helped me pick them out," he said, leading Eve over to her couch so that he could tell her all about the meaning behind each flower they had chosen.

…

Ezekiel couldn't help but notice that everyone seemed to be in a better mood. The drills had stopped, and Baird hadn't even mentioned how he had stormed out in anger after yelling at her the day before. Stone had a sappy grin plastered on his face and hadn't made a single sarcastic comment all day, no matter how much the young thief tried to annoy him. Even Cassandra, who was almost always in a good mood, seemed a little extra cheerful that day.

Something suspicious was definitely going on, and Ezekiel was pretty sure he knew what it was.

"Jenkins!" he had sought out the older man, finding him in his office. "Jenkins, I think we've got a case!"

"Did something new appear in the clippings book? I'm sure the team can help you with it, I'm currently busy with more important work right now."

"No, I can't go to them with this," Jones said almost nervously. "They are the case."

Jenkins looked at him skeptically.

"Aliens!"

Jenkins sighed. "I really don't have time for this right now, Mr. Jones."

"I'm serious, Jenkins! Everyone is acting weird today and I bet aliens have something to do with it."

Jenkins walked out of the room, the young thief quick on his heels. "Honestly, Mr. Jones. Don't you have anything better to occupy your mind with?"

"What could be better than aliens?"

"Silence, for one thing."

"C'mon, Jenkins," Ezekiel pleaded. "If you help me get to the bottom of this I promise I won't sell you out to our alien overlords...Jenkins?"

The pair had reached a room Ezekiel didn't even know existed. Jenkins had gone in first and had the door in the younger man's face.

"Jenkins? Jenkins?" Jones knocked on the door. "Fine, be that way!" he turned away, admitting defeat.

"Guess I'll just have to face the aliens alone, then. Whatever. I kinda like alien Stone better anyways. I could get used to this," he muttered, as he made his way back to the main room.


	4. Camp Counselor AU (Part 1)

**A/N - Prompt by timewarpingavengers on Tumblr: jake/cassandra camp counselor au.**

**This idea is getting away from me. I don't understand how my mind can be racing with ideas when I've never actually been to a camp like this, but it is. This chapter is really more of a set up of the characters. There will be at least another chapter for it at some point...maybe more.**

* * *

The first time he saw her, she was standing near the lake, surrounded by a handful of young girls. Although he knew better, he couldn't help but stare. Jake was mesmerized by her.

It wasn't the way her red curls cascaded softly on her shoulders, or the way the blue polo shirt she wore as part of her uniform matched her eyes and made them stand out even more so. Though Jake would be lying if he said he hadn't noticed both those things.

No, the reason he couldn't stop watching her was because she genuinely looked happy to be doing what she was doing, and the kids surrounding her seemed thrilled to be there. Jake was starting his third summer as a camp counsellor and he had come to learn that most people didn't want to be there. It was rare to find either a camper or a counsellor with a smile as big as hers.

"You might want to close your mouth, mate," Jake was brought back to reality when his friend and fellow counsellor, Ezekiel Jones, walked by.

"Hey Jones, who is that?" Jake ran to catch up with his friend, who was walking rather quickly towards the mess hall.

"The new girls' counsellor?" Ezekiel asked. "Her name's Cassandra. Honestly mate, would it have killed you to show up for orientation?"

"Cassandra," Jake repeated to himself. He had stopped outside the mess hall, letting Ezekiel walk in on his own. He turned around so that he could see the lake again. Cassandra was sitting cross legged on the grass, her group of kids sitting in a semicircle in front of her. She seemed to be telling them a story, and Jake couldn't tell who was more enthused, the kids or Cassandra. "Cassandra," he repeated again, making a mental note to himself that he would have to introduce himself later.

…

He got his chance later that morning.

Jake was planning to take his group of kids out to the lake so that they could practice painting landscapes. Before heading out, he and the kids stopped off at the arts and crafts building to gather supplies. He froze in the doorway when he noticed her. She was helping her kids tie dye some t-shirts, once again more enthused than he had ever seen anyone at the camp.

"Jake? Are we getting the paint or what?" Jake jumped slightly when a small hand tugged at his shirt.

"Oh, yeah. Guys, go grab what you need, I'll be with ya in a sec," he said with a smile as he ruffled the boy's hair. The kids ran off to the paint section and Jake casually made his way over to the table where Cassandra sat with her group.

"Don't forget to put gloves on before you guys handle the dye, okay?" Cassandra was passing out rubber gloves to her kids and they all eagerly put them on. She didn't even seem to notice Jake standing there.

"You really have a way with kids," he said from across the table. The redhead jumped slightly, finally realizing he was there.

"Oh, hello. Thanks," she greeted him warmly, but then went back to focusing on her work.

"I'm Jake, by the way. One of the boys' counsellors," Jake was determined to get to know this girl.

"Cassandra," she looked back up to him. "Sorry, I'm a little distracted here. This dye stains easily, I'm a little worried that if I look away for a second someone's gonna spill it."

"No problem. I should probably be getting back to my kids, anyways," Jake smiled at her. Most of the counsellors he had dealt with wouldn't have been focused so much on their job. He liked how seriously she was taking things. "I'll see ya around."

Jake went over to the corner to help his kids gather their art supplies, oblivious that Cassandra watched him out of the corner of her eye. Once they had everything they needed, the boys started toward the door. Before they got out of the building, however, Jake once again felt a small tug on his shirt. He looked down to see Johnny, the same boy who had tugged on him before.

"Jake, why do we have to paint the lake, anyways? It's boring," the young boy whined.

Jake knelt down so that he was at the same level as the kid. "What makes you think that, Johnny?"

"I dunno," the kid shrugged, his eyes on the ground. "It just is."

"Well, I'll tell you what. When we get out there, I don't want you to paint what you see," Jake said. "I want you to paint what you feel."

Johnny looked at him. "But I'll feel bored."

"Then that's what I want you to paint, whatever that is," Jake laughed, standing back up again. "C'mon buddy, the others are waitin'."

Jake placed his hand on Johnny's shoulder and guided him out the door. With one final glance over his shoulder he waved at Cassandra, who had been silently observing the entire exchange.

…

She wasn't in the mess hall at lunch. The counsellors normally sat together at a table in the back, but when Jake entered the building he saw that the only two people sitting there were Jones and Lamia, the other girls' counsellor. He considered joining the two of them, but decided against it. Instead, he took his lunch outside, scanning the area until he noticed her sitting on the grass near the lake, her back resting against a large tree. Before he even knew what was happening, Jake found himself drifting in her direction.

"Hey again," he said once he reached her. "Cassie, right?"

"Everyone usually calls me Cassandra," she smiled warmly at him. "But you can call me Cassie if you want. I kind of like that."

"Is it alright if I join you, Cassie?"

She nodded and patted the ground beside her. "Sure. And you're Jake, right?"

"That's right," he sat cross legged beside her. "So how are you liking the camp so far?"

"It's fun, I like it," she said as she took a bite of her sandwich. "I always liked working with kids."

"They seem to like you, too. Honestly, I've never seen any of the campers take to a counsellor as quickly as yours seem to have taken to you."

Cassandra could feel her face turn red at the compliment. "You're not so bad at the job, yourself. I saw how you were with Johnny this morning."

"Aw well, he's a good kid," Jake said, brushing off the compliment. "I think he's used to most people not taking his feelings seriously, though."

"Yeah, I can relate to that," Cassandra spoke softly, the words coming out before she even realized she was saying them. She quickly changed the subject before Jake had the chance to respond. "So, have you been working here long?"

"This is my third summer," he eyed her cautiously, but decided to ignore her earlier comment.

"You must like it here, then."

"A chance to get away from my family every summer? Hell yeah I like it," Jake beamed. "This is the only place I can really be myself."

"That sounds nice," Cassandra sighed. "That you feel that way here, I mean."

"It is," Jake nodded.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes as they finished their lunches, taking in the scenery and enjoying the fresh air. Shortly after, a couple of young girls came running up to them.

"Cassandra, you said you'd take us canoeing after lunch!" One of the girls said eagerly.

"That's right. I did, didn't I?" Cassandra said earnestly, her attention turning from the girls to Jake. "Sorry, I better get going."

"Sure," he smiled as he watched her get up. She was a few steps away before he called out to her. "Hey, Cassie? If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm a great listener."

She eyed him cautiously for a second, but then nodded before turning away again and following her charges. Jake just shook his head at himself and leaned back until his head his the tree behind him. He barely even knew this girl, but he realized he was already in too deep. He had fallen hard.


	5. Kissing it Better

**A/N - This story is dedicated to angellwings (summer-smells) who was having a bad day. I hope this helps cheer you up. ^.^**

**Based on this prompt from otpprompts on Tumblr: Imagine Person A of your OTP doesn't know how to ride a bike. Person B offers to teach them. Bonus if A falls off and scrapes their knee and B kisses it better.**

* * *

"What do you mean you don't know how to ride a bike!?" Jake asked Cassandra in shock.

"I don't know, my parents just never got around to teaching me," The redhead just shrugged and looked at him sheepishly. "It's not like I can't ride one at all. I had a bike growing up. But I never got past the training wheels stage."

Jake wasn't sure whether he should laugh or cry. On the one hand, the more he learned about Cassie's childhood, the more his heart ached for her. She had missed out on so much, and someone as special as Cassie deserved better. But on the other hand, the thought of Cassandra riding around on a bike with training wheels was just too cute, he had to stifle a chuckle.

He had already decided that he was going to do something about it. That was his thing. Everytime Cassie revealed something essential that she never got to experience growing up, Jake made sure to make it happen for her. For her last birthday he had made sure to get her an ice cream cake, something that she had heard of but had never actually tried. The concept was still hard for her to wrap her head around, but she had been overjoyed when she saw it. Jake loved how easy it was to make her happy. She loved everything.

He had been shocked to hear she had never seen The Wizard of Oz. Jake couldn't believe that she had been deprived of such an iconic movie during her childhood. The next time they had a day off he invited her over to his apartment and they watched it together. Of course she was absolutely thrilled by it. Cassandra had fallen in love with all the characters, but the cowardly lion was her favourite. Jake's favourite parts were the scenes where the wicked witch would appear, because every time that happened Cassie would bury her face in his chest. Jake would smile and wrap his arm around her, holding her tight until the witch was gone.

There was no question in Jake's mind that he was going to correct all of the mistakes Cassandra's parents had made. It was bad enough that her lifespan as a whole was going to be shorter than most, there was no way he was going to let her miss out on a childhood, too.

So the next day, during their lunch break, Jake dragged Cassie outside to where he had parked his truck. He guided her from behind, his hands over her eyes to avoid spoiling the surprise.

"Okay, you ready?" he asked when they reached their location.

"Yes. What's going on, Jake?"

He removed his hands, revealing a shiny, purple bicycle propped up against his truck.

"Surprise!"

Cassandra turned to back at Jake, her eyes wide with surprise. "Is that for me?"

"Well I sure as hell ain't gonna ride a _purple_ bike," Jake said with a laugh.

"It's beautiful, Jake. But you know I can't ride it. There aren't any training wheels on it."

"I know," Jake nodded. "I'm going to teach you."

She stared at him for a moment, the smile on her face growing wider and wider. Then she finally leapt into him, her arms wrapping him up in a giant hug. "Thank you, Jake!"

Jake couldn't help but beam as he returned the hug. He lived to make that girl happy. When she finally released him he gestured toward the truck. "That's not all. Check inside."

Cassandra did as she was told and found a matching helmet sitting on the passenger seat. "Seriously, Jake?"

He shrugged. "Better safe than sorry."

She put the helmet on, grateful for the gesture, and the two of them lead the bike over to the road where they had some space. Jake held the bike steady as Cassandra mounted, one foot on a pedal and another bracing herself on the ground.

"Promise you won't let go?" she asked him, worry written all over her face.

"I wouldn't dream of it, darlin'," Jake assured her. "Ready?"

Cassandra took a deep breath and nodded, pushing herself forward and starting to pedal. Jake kept his word and didn't let go. He had one hand on the handlebars and another on the back of the seat. They moved slowly down the street, the bike wobbling a bit at first as Cassandra found a rhythm, but it wasn't long before she steadied herself.

"I'm doing it!" she exclaimed happily as they picked up speed a little bit.

"You think you're ready to try it on your own?" Jake asked after a minute. Cassandra was a natural and he was pretty sure she didn't need him holding on anymore.

"Okay," she said cautiously. "If you think I'm ready."

Slowly, Jake removed the hand holding the handlebars, and then the hand that braced the back of the bike. He stood, not unlike a proud parent (though he would rather not use that metaphor when thinking about whatever his relationship was with Cassie), and watched as Cassandra continued to pedal away from him. She remained steady for a few feet but shortly after he had let go the bike began to wobble. Jake cringed as he watched her slide into the curb, he bike toppling over and Cassandra hitting the pavement.

"Cassie!" he ran over to her. She was quick to sit up, and Jake was pretty sure that she was okay. People fell off their bikes all the time. Judging by her face she was more embarrassed than anything. But still, he hated to see her fall. "Cassie, are you okay?" he crouched down beside her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she nodded and gestured to her knee. There was a rip in her tights and a decent sized scrape on her knee. "My knee hurts, but I guess that comes with the territory."

Jake reached out and gently touched around her knee, trying to get a handle on how bad a scrape it was. "Sorry," he apologized when she winced. "It's a bad scrape, but I think I know a way to make it feel better."

"Yeah?" she asked curiously. He nodded in response. "Well by all means, what did you have in mind?"

Jake smiled at her, the kind of smile that lit up his whole face and caused his eyes to wrinkle. Then he ever so carefully leaned forward and placed a small, light kiss on her knee.

"Better?" he asked after he had sat back up.

Cassandra smiled and nodded. "A little. But you know, now that I think of it, I also hurt my elbow." she held her bent arm out revealing a perfectly normal elbow. There was no scrape and no scratch on it.

"Oh, you did, did ya?" Jake asked, a twinkle in his eye. Then, without another word, he reached for her arm, placing a small trail of kisses starting from her hand, all the way up her forearm, with a final one on her elbow. "How's that?"

Cassandra giggled. "I think I'll live."

"You ready to try again?" Jake asked, standing back up. When Cassandra nodded he reached a hand out and helped her to her feet.

"You won't let go this time, will you?"

"Not if you don't want me to," Jake assured her. "But if you don't fall off again, how will I be able to kiss you better?"

Jake spent the rest of the afternoon teaching Cassandra. Before long, you would never have guessed that she had only just learned how to ride a bike. There were several more falls, though to be honest Jake was pretty sure that Cassie had faked at least half of them. He didn't mind, of course. He didn't mind one bit.


	6. Binary

**A/N - This is actually the first Librarians fic I ever wrote. I wrote it about halfway through watching the first season, thus why Baird's desk is resetting itself again. I had written it in my notebook and forgotten about it because I hated it, but after stumbling across it the other day I've decided it's not as bad as I originally thought and figured I may as well post it.**

* * *

Things were slow in the Annex that day. Baird had given up reorganizing her and Flynn's desk for the hundredth time and had disappeared into the stacks. Jenkins had mentioned not wanting to deal with the LiTs invading his space that day and had spent most of his time in his office. And Ezekiel had announced, loudly and to know one in particular, that he was bored and that if anything exciting should happen then someone should text him. He then left the Annex to do who knows what.

It was quiet at the desk that the LiTs shared. All that could be heard was the sound of pencil on paper as Cassandra feverishly scribbled into her notebook. Jacob sat across from her, his nose buried deep in an art history book.

Jake loved books. He loved reading and he loved learning. Fiction, non fiction, classics, or contemporary, it didn't matter. He loved getting lost between the pages of a book. Few things could snap him out of the trance that a good book put him in. Cassandra Cillian was one of those few things.

As the scribbling became increasingly hectic, Jake realized that this was one of those times where Cassandra would need help finding her way back to reality. He set his book down and glanced across the desk, trying to sneak a peek at what she was writing.

"Cassandra?" Jake spoke softly, not wanting to startle her. But when her scribbling intensified and she started mumbling to herself, he repeated her name a little more firmly. "Cassandra!"

"Cassandra," the red headed Librarian repeated her name as she scribbled. "01000011 01100001 01110011…"

"Cassie, look at me darlin'," Jake was talking softly again.

Cassandra looked up, but was looking through Jake and continued her mumbling. "01110011 01100001…"

Jake frowned. He didn't know what had set off this little spell of Cassandra's, but whatever it was, it couldn't be good. He knew her brain used binary as a coping mechanism of sorts when things got really rough. Only two numbers meant fewer sensations for her to deal with.

"That's it," he declared. His tone, although sharp, was still quiet as to not startle the other Librarian.

"...00001010." Cassandra finished her rambling and snapped out of her spell at the sound of Jake's declaration. She looked up at him, confused.

"What's what?" she asked.

Jake stood up. "We're getting out of here. Come on."

Cassandra hesitated. "But why?"

Jake had made his way around to her side of the desk and gently started to pull her up by the arm.

"Because. Because I pay attention, Cassie. Because I know that your brain goes into binary mode when it's even more stressed than usual. Because all morning you've been spiraling further down that rabbit hole. And also because I'm starving."

She was standing now, the two of them a little too close for comfort, though neither one of them wanted to be the one to take that step back. They stood like that for what felt like minutes, though in reality only a few short seconds had passed. It was the first time they ever, truly held eye contact, at least during a time that both of them were mentally present. It was Jake who finally put an end to the awkward silence.

"Mostly the starving thing, though," he finished his thought from earlier.

Cassandra smiled and looked away, finally breaking the eye contact. She looked at the floor briefly.

"Mostly?" she asked, meeting his gaze again.

"I hate to eat alone," Jake smiled and his eyes crinkled. "You like burgers? I know a great pub. My treat."

"Well, when you put it that way, how can I refuse?" Cassandra smiled again and the two of them headed towards the front door.


End file.
